Teen paralysed after being kidnapped by abusive boyfriend finally able to hug mum 18 months later

For 18 months, all Nikki Lynn could do was hold her daughter's motionless hand, hoping the connection would be strong enough to stir something inside her - but nothing.

Angel Lynn was just 19 when her abusive boyfriend Chay Bowskill, 21, kidnapped her as she walked near her home in Loughborough in September 2020. The thug grabbed her and forced her into a van, before driving away with his friend Rocco Sansome. As they sped along at speeds of 60mph, Angel fell on to the road, causing catastrophic injuries.

Bowskill has stated he is unsure if she fell or jumped. Angel has been unable to giver her own account. Her brain injuries were so severe her parents, Nikki and Paddy, 54, were warned she would die numerous times. She has been unable to speak, eat, or walk since. For many months, she has barely responded to anything, a state so devastating Nikki admits she wondered if she would have been better off at peace.

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Then around two weeks ago, Nikki felt, for the first time, Angel’s right arm reach around her back in return; her hand lightly press her back, then move to stroke her hair, the Mirror reports. "She just put her hand straight around my back and started tapping me, recalled 47-year-old Nikki. "She didn’t hug much before, she was a typical teenager, but she would give you a hug if you were upset. It’s very special to have that hug now."

In January, Bowskill was jailed for seven-and-a-half years after being found guilty of kidnap, controlling and coercive behaviour and perverting the course of justice, but the Lynns were outraged, and two weeks ago at the Court of Appeal, the sentence was increased to 12 years. Sansome was jailed for 21-months